'Flaws' in JIT report to be challenged in apex court, says Dar

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s final investigation report on Panama Papers case contained many gaps and flaws, which would soon be challenged in the Supreme Court.

“The opposition should wait for a while as the JIT report is not yet final. Many documents in the report do not contain any signatures,” he said while addressing a joint news conference along with Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Barrister Zafarullah Khan in Islamabad.

Ishaq Dar said the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) legal team was reviewing the report, and the response would be submitted to the court with arguments and evidences.

He said a narrative was being tried to be built since the report was submitted to the court. He said patience should be observed till the decision, and the democratic process should be allowed to be continued.

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Ishaq Dar rejected as baseless the allegations leveled against him about his financial matters. He said all the record of his tax returns and financial matters was available, and will be presented to the court.

He also said there was no offshore company on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name.

The JIT has recommended the apex court to file reference against the prime minister and his two sons under NAB Ordinance.

According to ARY News Islamabad Bureau Chief Sabir Shakir, the JIT said in its report that: “PM’s sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz failed to produce satisfactory evidence in the offshore companies allegations against them.”

The probe body also recommended the court that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should initiate inquiry against PM and his two sons as well as Maryam Nawaz.

JIT acted partially, its report based on ill-intentions: Saad

Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Saad Rafique said the allegations levelled by the JIT would be responded in the top court.

He said the JIT did not ask any question about the documents submitted to the court. He said the JIT acted partially, and its report was based on ill-intentions.

The minister termed the JIT report part of a conspiracy against the government. He said Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan whose party received foreign funding was playing the key role in the conspiracy.

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Expressing surprise over the hefty JIT report, he said the probing team could not pile such a sizable report in 60 days by even working day and night.

“It seems the report had started been preparing 10 months ago,” he said.

Barrister Zafarulla Khan said the JIT report was being presented as a decision. He said there was a great difference between a court decision and an investigation report.

“Reports like JIT’s are a routine’s matter, it’s not a special phenomena,” he said.